Strip tension regulating means



May 21, l957 J. H. sl-:ELEN l 2,793,033

STRIP TENSION REGULATING MEANS Filed March l5, 1952 INVENTOR.'

.Pel/'us Joannes Hureras Saaie/z,

United States Patent srnlr rENsroN REGULATING MEANS Petrus Johannes Hubertus Seelen, Helmond, Netherlands,

assignor to N. V. P. F. van Vlissingen & Cos Katoenfabrieken, Helmond, Netherlands Application March 15, 1952, Serial No. 276,821

Claims priority, application Netherlands January 28, 1952 3 Claims. (Cl. 271-23) The invention relates to an apparatus for the treatment of fabrics. Principally a treatment is meant with liquid, though the apparatus according to the invention can also be applied for the treatment of fabrics in gas, vapour, such as steam.

The new apparatus can especially be applied for the washing of fabrics, though it is also suited for other treatments, with which a fabric is to be treated with liquid.

The problem with the treatment, such as with washing of fabrics, is to prevent tensions in the fabrics, respectively to regulate those tensions.

According to an old principle the fabrics are led round a number of rolls being situated behind and/or above each other and of which a number of rolls is driven.

In consequence of the treatment, e. g. by wetting or moistening and in consequence of changements of ternperature, elongation and shrinking appears in the fabric, which elongation can still be increased in consequence of the fact that the suspended fabric becomes heavier by the liquid treatment and by the tensile force being exerted on the fabric by one or more rolls. This elongation and shrinking give several drawbacks in practice. Generally an elongation `in the longitudinal direction is accompanied by a shrinking of the width, so that in consequence of the treatment the fabric is changed with respect to the starting product. This alteration is to be corrected later. f

Further the strength of the fabric suifers by the elongation as well as by the later correction of the alterations caused by sarne.

The invention has for its object to eliminate the above mentioned drawbacks and to provide an apparatus, with which the fabrics can, if desired, be treated without tensions and with which further each desired tension can be given to the fabric during the treatment in a simple way.

According to the invention the bottom rolls of the apparatus can rotate freely and the top rolls are driven with mutually the same speed, all top rolls have at least one conical part tapering in the same direction with respect to all rolls. Preferably two conical parts are provided to each top roll, said parts being directed towards each other.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying schematic drawing and more precisely described underneath.

Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view, partly in section, of an apparatus in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The apparatus 11 comprises a structure 12 which includes a reservoir 13. In the structure 12 there are journalled for free rotation a series of parallel idler bot tom rolls 14. The reservoir 13 can be filled with a treating medium, such as a treating liquid, or can be flushed with the same. If the apparatus 11 is used for the washing of textiles, clean water may continuously Frice be supplied to the reservoir 13; or, the reservoir 13 may be filled with bleaching or dyeing liquid.

There is provided a series of parallel top rolls 16 which are journalled in the structure 11, as shown in Fig. l. The axes of the top or upper rolls 16 are parallel to the axes of the bottom rolls 14, but are laterally offset therebetween. All of the top rolls 16 are driven with the same speed, by means of driving elements 17 that are interconnected in series between the top rolls` 16, and which are driven from the lower pressing roll 19 which forms part of a pair of pressing rolls 18 and 19. Y

There is also provided a feeding roll 21, which feeds one or more webs of fabric, such as the single web 22, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, into the apparatus 11 in direction of the arrows A. The web 22 will thereby be suspended in a series of loops 23 between the driven top rolls 16 and the idler bottom rolls 14. While the bottom rolls 14, the feeding roll 21 and the pressing rolls 18 and 19 have a cylindrical surface, each upper roll 16 is tapered, having each at least one conical portion 24. The conical portions 24 taper all in the same direction axially of the rolls 16. In accordance with a preferred embodiment shown in Figs. l and 2, each upper roll 16 is, however, provided with two oppositely tapering conical portions 24 and 26. The conical portions 26 also taper all in the same direction, but oppositely ofthe tapering of the portions 24, with respect to all of the top rolls 16.

For each tapering portion of an upper roll, a web of fabric may be led through the apparatus 11j thus, as each roll 16 is provided with two conical portions 24 and 26, respectively, two webs of fabric may be led through the apparatus 11. For the purpose of clarity of illustration, however, only a single web 22 has been shown in Fig. l. on the portions 24 of the rolls 16, the other web having been omitted in order not to obstruct the picture of the guide to be explained below. Each web, forinstance the web 22, encircles the upper surface portions of the top rolls 16 and the lower surface portions of the bottom rolls 14.

In order to vary the tension within the web 22 as it is led through the apparatus 11, there is provided for each web a guide, for instance a guide 27 for the web 22 that runs along the portions 24, and a guide 28for a second web (not shown) to run along the portions 2,6. `Each of the guides 27 and 28 is disposed below the upper rolls 16 and comprises two bars 29 and 31 that are spaced apart from each other for a distance, so that they abut against the opposite edges of the web throughout all of said loops of the fabric extending between the top and bottom rolls 16 and 14.

The guides 27 and 2S may be adjusted at their opposite ends. For instance, each may have formed at one end (on the right side of Figs. l and 2) a threaded nut 32 that engages one of two opposite threads 33 and 34 of a manually operable spindle 36; thus, the guide 27 may engage the thread 33, and the guide 28 the thread 34, of the spindle 36. The spindle 36 may also be journalled in the structure 11. The nuts 32 may be of the well known releasable type (not shown) to permit shifting of one guide without any simultaneous shifting of the other, when desired. On the other end (on the left side of Figs. 1 and 2), the guides 27 and 28 may likewise be adjustable; for instance, each guide may have a bent lug 37 that engages one of a series of vertical recesses or holes 38 formed in a support 39. By these means, each guide is shiftable axially of the rolls 16 and tiltable relative to said roll axes between positions of right angle, and, respectively, obliquely (Fig. 1) thereto.. Each guide may thus be arranged in various positions parallel or non-parallel with the other guide. The position which the guides will be adjusted to will depend upon the re- 3 quirements as dictated by the nature Vof the fabric and on the treating bath. Each guide may thus guide a web between its bars -29 and 31 and may adjust the position of the web on the conical portions.

If the apparatus is provided with a closed casing (not shown), then the web may be treated also with gases or vapors, for instance, for drying.

The apparatus of the invention Ais particularly suitable for washing fabric webs. By increasing the number of cones'per upper roll, further webs may be fed through the apparatus, kas for each set of cones on the upper rolls a web may Abe treated. In practice, webs may be fed into the apparatus at a speed of at least 600 feet per minute, picking up water from the reservoir 13 which will fall with great force resulting in a good washing effect.

The operation is as follows: One web for each conical portion of the upper rolls 16 may be led through the apparatus 11. In the apparatus shown in the drawing, twogwebs may thus be led through the apparatus. Each web is looped around the upper and lower rolls 15 and 14 and is threaded through the space that is defined between the bars 29 and 31 of its guide. Thus, throughout allA the loops between the bottom and top rolls, the web is disposed between the bars of its guide. By adjusting the position of the guide with relation to the roll axes, the tension within the web as it is pulled through the apparatus in the direction A, by the action of the pressing rolls 18 and 19, may be adjusted. For instance,

where the web is near the small diameter of the cone of a roll, its tension will be relaxed and, conversely, where it is near the large diameter of the cone, its tension will be increased. Where owing to the treatment the web slackens, the operator may adjust the position of the guide by either operating the spindle 36 or resetting the lug 37 into a different hole 38, or both.

Having thus ydescribed the invention, what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent, is as follows:

l. In an apparatus for the treatment of an elongated web of fabric, with a medium such as gases, vapors, or liquid, in combination, a structure, a series of parallel idler bottom rolls journalled in said structure, a series of parallel top rolls journalledin said structure above said bottom rolls, the axes of said top rolls being parallel to the axes of said bottom rolls but laterally offset therebetween, all of said top rolls being driven with the same speed-for feeding said fabric in direction of its elongation, said fabric being suspended in a series of loops between said top and bottom rolls, encircling the lower surface portions of the bottom rolls and the upper surface portions of the top rolls, each of said top rolls having a conical part, said conical parts being similar, and tapering in the same direction, sai-dy fabric being shiftable axially of the rolls on said conical parts for adjustment of longitudinal tension within said fabric, and an adjustably positionable fabric guiding mechanism operable for simultaneously abutting against all of thevloops of said fabric extending between said top and bottom rolls for positioning the fabric in relation to the axes of said rolls, said guiding mechanism comprising a movable rod including two bars defining therebetween a space in which the loops of said web extend for guiding the web in opposite directions transversely of the loops.

2. In an apparatus for the treatment `of an elongated web of fabric, with a medium such as gases, vapors, or liquid, in combination, a structure, a series of parallel idler bottom rolls journalled in said structure, and a series of parallel top rolls above said bottom rolls and laterally offset therefrom journalled in said structure, said rolls being operable to receive said frabric suspended in a series of loops therebetween, said top rolls being driven with the same speed for feeding the fabric in direction of its elongation, said upper rolls having at least one conical portion tapering in the same direction, and an adjustable guiding mechanism for said fabric extending below said upper rolls throughout the series thereof and abutting against all of the loops of said web and being adjustably positionable in direction axially of said rolls, saidv guiding mechanism comprising a movable rod including two bars defining therebetween a space in which the loops of said web extend for guiding the web in opposite directions transversely of the loops.

3. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 2, said rod being shiftable axially of said rolls and tiltable relative to the roll axes between positions of right angle, and obliquely, thereto.

ReferenceskCted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 623,837 Schwarz Apr. 25, 1899 878,815 Martin Feb. 11, 1908 939,350 Thompson Nov. 9, 1909 1,114,478 Hbarra Oct. 20, 1914 1,385,403 Sentou et al. Iuly 26, 1921 2,539,978 Van Dyk Jan. 30, 1951 2,590,699 Meyer Mar. 25, 1952 

